[Discuss] Mr Robot

[blu at nedharvey.com (Edward Ned Harvey (blu))]

> From: Dan Ritter [mailto:dsr at randomstring.org]
> 
> For most people in most places,  blindly clicking "yup" on the
> terms of service is exactly what they should do.
> 
> 99% will not get into legal trouble.

Oh, try this on for size:

Spotify, music streaming, essentially internet radio: requires access to contacts, photos, files, location, microphone. And probably some other stuff. A lot of people find that excessively creepy, and question if any of it is necessary to provide the service they want. Some of it might actually be useful, such as microphone to do voice commands, and location services to determine if you're in the middle of running and therefore in the mood for running music.

My personal favorite: The "flashlight" search on android.

At minimum, a flashlight app needs access to "Camera."

But among the most popular apps, >10 million downloads, requires Location, Photos/Media/Files, Wi-Fi connection information, Device ID & Call History.

That is not a situation where blindly clicking "yup" is what people should do. It's not about the user getting into legal trouble, it's about granting the service provider or the app manufacturer way crazy too much access into your life.